War of the Worlds 2030 (16 page)

“I'll be glad when this is over,” sighed Mary as she settled in the cyber couch.

“Still problems?” Kate started hooking up the monitor feeds.

Jerry and I went to a movie last night. One of the old ones made before the war. They've been reissuing a lot of them. We started talking about one of the actresses. She had dark hair, medium-sized breasts, nice legs.”

“Zane's type.”

“Yeah. I couldn't help it. I kept flashing on images of Betty and Janis.”

“Oh no. Did Jerry figure out what was going on?”

“He didn't get the chance. I made him pull over on a side road and. I'm just glad the cops didn't check up on us. You expect teenagers to behave like that, but not a pair of adults.”

“Did you enjoy it?”

Mary blushed. “Yes.”

Kate smiled. “Jerry is your husband. There's nothing wrong with that.”

“I just don't like the triggers. Will I ever go back to being normal again?” Mary stared at the calendar. “It is March 9th twenty-thirty-seven and I am a heterosexual woman.”

Kate looked on with compassion as Mary jacked in.

* * * *

Upload monitoring/ Zane Hinkly /Index 14:32/ 14/10/2033

* * * *

Zane tweaked the genes on the graphic simulation then released the retro virus. Lithium absorption levels on the simulation increased to almost normal.

Richard entered the room whistling. He moved behind Zane and glanced at the screen. “Very good, Zane. The sim looks excellent.”

“Thanks, Doc. You're in a good mood.”

“The sun is shining. The birds are signing. I've finally finished back engineering that accursed Alzheimer cure. I have a two week sabbatical starting Friday. What is there not to love about today?”

Zane smiled knowingly. “Labs gonna be kinda empty with Ash going off on that hiking trip.”

Richard grinned at his student. “Just don't blow anything up. We all deserve a break after cracking the coding on the Alzheimer symbiont. Chimpanzee DNA. So tricky but so simple.”

“It's awful. Cruel, inhuman and disgusting,” said a voice from the door.

Richard and Zane turned to see Betty standing in the doorway. She was dressed in Khaki pants and a tight T-shirt, with Green Peace written across her breasts.

“Betty, honey. I wasn't expecting you!” Richard moved to hug his daughter.

“Hello Daddy.” she said coldly.

“Hi, Betty.” There was a note of trepidation in Zane's voice.

“Hi Zane. I see my father has infected you with his anti-life views.”

“Betty?” gasped Richard.

“Well, what do you expect? You play with life like you were some kind of God. Splicing genes, twisting living things so they can serve as slaves to humans. What right do we have to hijack chimpanzee DNA to cure a human sickness?”

“The
Darmuks
did that. I was working on a computer chip that would fix the problem,” Richard defended himself.

“You'd test it on poor defenseless animals.”

“Betty, can't I just be happy that my daughter has come for a visit?”

“I'm not visiting. Green Peace is picketing the
Darmuk
embassy. Their use of genetically engendered symbionts is a threat to the health of the Earth and is an abuse of the symbiont's rights. We're going to shut them down. I just came to warn you, since you're in bed with them.”

“I am not in bed with the
Darmuks
, young lady!”

“You use their research and you corrupt young people like Zane. We can't allow it. Stop this evil research at once.”

“Betty, you know I can't do that.”

“Zane, maybe there's still some decency in you. Join us. We're having a rally tonight in the Quad.”

“Um…Betty—”

“I'm going to talk to mother. Goodbye Father!” She turned and marched down the hall.

“Who was that?” asked Richard.

“Don't know, but I better warn Janis. She might like to tidy up a bit before Betty gets there.”

“Yes. She might also like to have a couple of stiff drinks. Oh, Gods, and things were going so well.” Richard rolled his eyes.

* * * *

Upload monitoring/ Zane Hinkly /Index 12:55/ 20/10/2033

* * * *

The protesters chanted slogans behind the rope barrier. The biological drilling rig the
Darmuks
had placed against the mountainside now stood as tall as an oak tree. The above ground part was mostly green with large serrated leaves, but splotches of yellow and brown marred its surface. The trunk section consisted of two pipe-like stems. Cold, sea water was pumped into one of them. Hot water flowed out the other into a ditch.

To one side the
Rigal
rested on a pile of Milorganite. Its surface was a sickly yellow and a stench like rotting vegetables rose off it.

Zane stood with a news crew behind the rope barrier. A petit, blonde, mid-thirties woman held the microphone.

“This is Tabitha Coombs reporting from the
Darmuk
embassy. We are here to witness the activation of the bio-thermal generating system. This
Darmuk
technology holds the promise of ending the world's energy problems by tapping geothermic sources and allowing us to bring them into use in an economical and safe manner. Here to explain the technology is Mister Zane Hinkly of the University of Goleta, Biology Department.

“So Mister Hinkly, what exactly are we watching?”

Zane smiled at the camera. The suit he wore played up his boyish good looks. “Well, Tabatha, effectively what we're seeing is a drilling rig about to break through into a layer of super-heated rock.”

“Odd looking drilling rig,” observed the interviewer.

“Very. Like most
Darmuk
technology it's biological. Effectively what it does is send two long, hollow taproots deep into the earth. As these roots descend they wrap around one another when a certain temperature is exceeded a passage opens connecting the hollow core of the two taproots. As the root pushes deeper the interconnecting passage closes and another farther along its length opens until another temperature is exceeded and the root stops growing.”

“How does this allow us to tap geothermic power?”

“Once the plant has reached its depth, cold water pumped into one of the roots boils at the base and comes up the other root as live steam that can be used to turn a turbine.”

“How can the plant survive carrying live steam?

“As it grows the plant extracts iron compounds from the soil and the water pumped down its shaft and infuses its roots with these. The roots effectively become steel pipes. This process continues even after the plant stops growing. Once the plant finishes its growth cycle it does start slowly dying, but by the time the last of the organic cells give up the ghost there's a metal infrastructure for tapping the heat of the magma. This process will take the better part of twenty years to run its full course, but the steam can be taped immediately after the root reaches its final depth.”

“Why is this technology safer from the hydro-geothermic injection systems that are known to cause earthquakes?”

“I'm no expert in geology but as I understand it in those systems the water is injected into a layer of superheated, porous rock. From what I've gathered the water acts as a lubricant and also further cracks the rock as it boils thus triggering the earthquake. In this system the water never touches the rock. It's always contained in the drill rig's roots.”

“What do you think of the protesters claims that this is an abuse of life? That the drilling creature shouldn't be forced to dig so deep that it dies. That, in fact, it should never have been engineered at all?”

“I'm a biologist. I respect life, but a simple truth of nature is that all that lives feeds off death. Life uses life. This drill creature wouldn't even exist if it weren't for genetic engineering. The
Darmuks
assure us it is completely insensible. Even its simplest life processes are monitored and controlled by their biological computer system, the bio-mind. It has no feeling or thought. Frankly, I don't see the problem.”

The interviewer smiled then turned to face Betty who stood to one side wearing a conservative, cream blouse and black dress, that made her look both enticing and competent.

“Now Miss Green, as the leader of the Green Piece delegation you have a very different take on this situation.”

“Certainly Miss Coombs, and thank you for allowing us to speak. The use of a living organism in a way that is certain to cause its death is abhorrent. We do not have the right to take life indiscriminately.”

“Zane, how would you respond to that?” asked Tabatha

“All life uses other life. Tigers eat deer; people eat a wide variety of other living things. Also this is clean power. Green Peace has a long history of opposing off-shore drilling and nuclear reactors. This is an alternative. If you want your toaster to work in the morning, sometimes you have to choose the lesser of evils.”

“I hardly see his argument. I'm a vegetarian and if we lived more simply we wouldn't need to rape our planet for resources.”

“Betty, do you think the plants that went into your last meal wanted to be cut down, ground up, cooked, masticated and digested? Monitors have recorded discharges that amount to screams when a plant is killed. How arrogant on your part to claim a moral superiority because you only kill one type of life to survive.” interrupted Zane. “Also if, as you say, we went back to a simpler way of life, we would doom this planet. The human population is too large to support without using our technology. Any attempt to do so would decimate the natural world.

“I have often agreed with Green Peace's goals, in fact.” Zane pulled out his wallet and produced a laminated membership card that he held up to the camera. “I'm a member. This time their logic is flawed.”

“You've listened to my father for too long,” snapped Betty.

“Your father. That would be Doctor Richard Green, correct?” asked Tabatha.

“Yes, he's in bed with the
Darmuks
. He does animal testing. I'm ashamed to be his daughter.”

“Betty!” snapped Zane. The camera swung back to him. “Doctor Green is one of the most compassionate, kind men I have ever met. If his daughter is too much a spoiled little fool in search of something to rebel against to see that then she hardly has the right to sully his reputation. Remember, he was the one to build and understand the
Darmuk
cancer cure. How many lives has that saved?”

“Why isn't Doctor Green here today?” asked the news caster.

“He was afraid to face me,” snapped Betty.

“He's taken a two week sabbatical. The man's been working nonstop for almost three years. He needed a rest.”

“Probably off clubbing baby seals to take their DNA for the
Darmuks
,” snapped Betty.

“Miss Coombs, if we're here to discuss the power station I will continue, but if we are here to assassinate a good man's character, I wish to end this interview, now!” said Zane.

At that moment the water coming out of the pipe turned to a jet of steam.

“You see they're killing that poor life form. Their poaching it alive for no good reason,” snapped Betty.

Human workmen, under the supervision of Kalok, attached an adaptor to the tap root carrying steam. Minutes later a switch was thrown and the
Darmuk
facility started feeding electricity into the power grid.

Ashley stirred her cyber connections. She could sense Ji-Yeon through the bio-mind. She still seemed sane. Ashley wanted to dip into the memory loop, relive that time with Richard, but there was too much to do. Also the memory was corrupting as Ji-Yeon slowly brought aspects of her personality into it. Ash smiled. The woman was nearing the bath and she had such a sense of anticipation.

One to tell Richard if he ever doubts himself,
she thought. Ashley drew a kind of comfort from the fact that she had turned what would have been a hell for the woman into a pleasant interlude. She blinked as a sound activated her physical senses.

“I see you are enjoying the systems expanded capacities. Our new playmate is holding up well. Both physically and mentally.” Tannal clutched his groin.

“Yes master,” said Ashley.

“Good. I wish to run a system's check when I return. Until then, I grant you leave to indulge a fantasy with any other element of the bio-mind. A gift for my special slave. Are you not grateful?”

“Oh very, master. Thank you, master.”

“Just be sure you don't damage any of the components.” Tannal disconnected from the bio-mind and waddled to where a beast that looked like a giant spider with a flattened top waited. A leather recliner was mounted on the creature's back. He heaved his blubbery girth into the chair then touched his cerebral symbiont to the beast. It carried him from the room.”

“Come my sisters, come my brothers.” Ashley called into the bio-mind. She closed her eyes and pictured a woodland glade her coven had used for outdoor ritual.

“Ashley.” Ji-Yeon appeared at the edge of the glade. She wore a simple robe of white.

“Shh.” Ashley closed her eyes and concentrated. There was a subtle shift and the glade shimmered.

“Okay, we can talk now.”

“What did you do?” Ji-Yeon's skin tingled.

“Tannal has remote monitors on the bio-mind. I shifted them to, well… It could best be called a fantasy of the two of us. He likes lesbian play. The pervert will be too turned on to notice it's just a mental projection.”

“How?”

“I designed and built the Bio-mechanical interface and studied
Darmuk
technology before the war. I have limited control of the bio-mind.”

“Why haven't you escaped?”

“Because her body has become dependent on the
Darmuk
feeds. If she separates from the bio-mind she'll die,” explained a statuesque blonde with long hair and perfect skin who stepped into the clearing.

“Blessed be, Natalie,” said Ashley.

“Blessed be. Is she challis or cup?”

Seven other women and four men moved into the virtual clearing. Ji-Yeon mentally reached towards the edge of the clearing and pulled back horrified. “What?” she gasped.

“That is the bio-mind. Most of the people who have been joined to it have gone mad. The
Darmuk
practice of using horror to seal the consciousness doesn't help, but the strain is enough,” explained Ashley.

“Challis or cup,” repeated the blonde

“I don't know yet. I think challis.”

“We can't take any chances,” said a petite brunette who moved to the blonde's side. The blonde put her arm around the smaller woman shoulders and hugged her.

“Carry's right.” Natalie smiled at the small woman and they kissed.

“Ashley, I know you don't like doing it, but if you have any doubts you have to cup her. We can't take the risk,” said an athletic redhead with great legs.” She was skyclad and stood beside a middle-aged, bearded man who was likewise naked.

“Ji-Yeon, you deserve to know. This is my cyber coven. I managed to stop the
Darmuks
from locking these people in horror. The projection that's hiding us right now is taken from Natalie, with our images super imposed on it. We do what we can for the resistance. You have two choices, join us, or we'll be forced to permanently seal your mind. You'll be just like any other ram unit, incapable of thought,” explained Ashley.

“Resistance, here?” Ji-Yeon whispered.

“Where could we be more effective?” said a delicate woman of African descent. “And who has more reason to hate them? All of us have families. I haven't seen my children in nearly two years, real time.”

“Why haven't you escaped?”

“Where would we go?” asked a short, blocky man.

“Away. I don't know.”

“Ji-Yeon, if any of us escape the
Darmuks
will be sure to seal all future ram units up tight. Also their family would pay the price. Could you leave your children, your husband, to be killed?”

“I need to know, will you join us?” demanded Ashley.

“I…I…”

“Think of your choices. Think of your husband and children. As long as you're alive, you might get to see them again. Think of the chance to stick it to Tannal.”

Ji-Yeon's face hardened. “I'm with you.”

“Good. Ladies, Gentlemen.”

Each member of the group turned to face the outer edge of the clearing. They waved their hands and screens and keyboards appeared.

“Natalie, Carry, you two are focus,” said Ashley.

“Focus?” asked Ji-Yeon.

“The system fights against everything we do. Natalie and Carry share a special bond. They're lovers. When I lock them in memory I can often house them together because of that, so they share the memory. It means they can combine their mental power more readily, because the barriers of self aren't as strong. We alternate between them and Julia and Rick, who are the same way.”

“Natalie's gorgeous? You could have been a model,” said Ji-Yeon.

“Yeah, and I was prom queen, Gods what a memory, having to kiss the prom king, Yecch. Whoever said the universe doesn't have a sense of humor. Binding these puppies when I did the drag thing was a real pain,” she indicated her breasts.

“We have to hurry.” Ashley waved her hand and a bowl of clear liquid appeared.

“Right.” Natalie and Carry clasped hands and stared at the screen. The liquid in the chalice bubbled and turned red. Ashley stood in the middle of the circle and Natalie came to stand beside her.

Ashley passed the bowl to Ji-Yeon.

“Drink, it will mark you so our minds will always recognize you in the data stream.”

Ji-Yeon took a sip of the liquid. It was like sweet wine and tingled on her tongue.

Ashley took the bowl to the next person in the circle then the next, until all had drunk.

“What's the working?” asked Carry.

“Today we prepare. Tomorrow you all go free.”

“What?” gasped the coven.

“Richard is coming.”

“Richard. Your Richard?” the women whispered in awe and no small hint of passion. The men shifted uncomfortably.

“My Richard,” Ashley smiled. “We're killing the bio-mind. We attack Tannal tomorrow evening, to confuse the
Darmuk
forces.”

“Will he be bringing an army?” asked the redhead.

“No, Julia, only Zane.”

“Zane,” whispered the women.

“Who?” asked Ji-Yeon.

“Zane is Ashley's brother. I guess you've only had the special day loop,” said Julia.

“Awe. I guess.”

“There's a lot more to Richard than that. He and Zane are heroes. They fought to keep us safe from the
Darmuks
before we even knew they were bad. Ashley fought with them. Betty is Richard's daughter and was Zane's first love.” Julia gestured towards a screen and the image of the brunette lying on an interface couch filled it. “Richard, well you know how lucky Ashley is.”

“Excuse me?” said the bearded man standing beside her.

“Sorry, Rick.”

“It's okay. I'll be glad when we're free, so I can show you my persuasive powers.”

“Promises, Promises,” said Julia.

Ashley smiled at the interchange. “I've processed work orders that will have all your families at the docks tomorrow evening. There should be a lot of confusion during Richard's attack. You're to go to the docks. A freighter will be there. Pretend to be a gift sent to entertain the collaborator crew. Get aboard, get them mellow then kill them.”

“You don't mean—” objected Natalie.

“One last degradation to end all the degradations. Isn't freedom worth the price?”

“It's okay,” said Carry. “I know your heart's mine.”

Natalie smiled at the smaller woman.

“Others will arrive. Some of them are bound to be ex-navy or sailors or something. Get them on the controls. When the ship's full, put out to sea and brace for the worst storm you ever saw.”

“What about you?” asked the short, blocky man.

“Richard needs me here, Norm. You are all my brothers and sisters. Live and find loves to stand by you. Now we should make some viruses and prepare our reserves. Tomorrow we pay Tannal back.”

When all the other work was done Ashley opened a data stream and dumped a special series of programs into the part of the bio-mind that was Betty. Ashley felt the perverse program that held the young woman's mind weaken as her programs wore at it.

“Soon, Betty, I promise.” Leaving the program running she returned her consciousness to the meeting place. Ji-Yeon waited there.

“You are amazing,” said Ji-Yeon.

“Thanks, that's sweet,” replied Ashley.

“I'm just curious, what was in the cup?”

“It was the symbolic representation of a cyber bio-virus.”

“What! You poisoned me, but you drank?”

“The virus looks inside and sees who you are. When you trusted enough to take the first sip, you passed the test. Cup and Chalice is our way of saying it's a two edged sword.”

“God!”

“Which one?” Ashley smiled and some of the brightness of her youth was there.

“Richard and Zane, the others seem to think they're almost, I don't know, god-like.”

“You won't be here long enough for it to matter, so I'll tell you. I edited my memories, built them up. They are heroes, but I made them more than they really are. People need something to believe in. A hero inspires others. I downplayed what a know-all Richard can be, and made Zane out as being smarter than he is.”

“You do that for me. Inspire me I mean.” Ji-Yeon gently touched Ashley's arm.

“Why did you ever become a collaborator?”

Ji-Yeon looked ashamed. “It was after Jimmy was born. My milk started drying up because we couldn't get enough to eat. I couldn't watch my baby starve, so I started working for them. Ben, my husband, hated it, but he just couldn't get us enough food.”

Ashley's head shot up. “He's returning, my sensor just saw him.” With a moment's concentration she reset the program in the bio-mind, locking the other members of her group in pre-prepared memory loops.

Ji-Yeon saw her arm in front of her. It was pale like Ashley's “Richard,” she murmured and stretched like a cat, deliberately rubbing against his erection.

“Yes love,” whispered the man that held her.

“Love. That's going to take some getting used to. Of course some things are easy to adjust to.” Reaching back she patted the erection that her artful stretching had brought about.

“You always seemed so much the good girl.”

“Welcome to the twenty-first century. Good girls can have a sex drive; we just don't talk about it to everyone.”

“Umm, and I so enjoy our little chats.”

“I'll make an exception.” Leaning back she kissed him.

The kiss ended.

“If you're going to keep this up,” he began.

She smiled. “Oh I think you'll keep it up.”

Richard reached around her, using one hand to massage her breasts while stroking her clitoris with the other. Her breath caught. Richard gently nibbled the back of her neck. She shifted, positioning him at her opening.

“Condom,” said Richard.

“Aww, I am on the pill,” she complained knowing it was useless.

“It wouldn't be love without one, Pet.”

“Come again. Oh I mean…well…um. Well I didn't mean it that way. You…”

Richard silenced her with a kiss. “Love seeks to protect. Today, right now, either one of us could have something. Once we've been tested we can throw the damn rubbers out the window.”

“Pretty sure of yourself, assuming you're my only lover.”

“Ashley, Love. You are the most desirable woman in the world. You could have anyone you wanted. Since you're in my bed, I'll assume I'm not the flavor of the day.”